I'm sure I've just missed it, but I can't remember one single quote or interview or interaction by Henry Samuelli since he gave Bob Murray the old backhanded compliment ("he's a good hockey man, he keeps us under budget and competitive at the same time") early last year. Do we have an owner still interested in the team beyond the balance sheet? Do we have an absentee owner? Is he just sending down a budget and never being seen or spoken to by team execs?

I have the feeling he's not very interested anymore. Does he ever attend the games?

He's at the games but he's busy trying to get an NBA team in town, sadly. We'd better hope that happens, apparently, as it would line his pockets with more cash and that may help him spend more money on the Ducks.

We had that owner...then he lost millions over the course of a few seasons and he stopped being willing to spend to the Cap. Let's see how the Sabres ownership is handling the budget in five years.

I don't accept that either. I mean as long as I'm being disagreeable, I may as well throw that in there.

I don't believe that Samuelli loses money on the Ducks, same as I don't believe that Anschutz loses money on the Kings. They say they do, and I'm sure if you talk to the accountants they'll show you some receipts that show it, but 2 things are in play here. They make money off the parking and concessions and arena naming rights and all kinds of other stuff. They sell more tickets to see Christina Aguilera at Honda Center because of the 18 year history of the team. I forget the particulars on Samuelli's "rights" on this other stuff, but until he opens his books, I believe he's making a large profit on the Ducks.

And more importantly, as of December 2010, the Ducks franchise (and this excludes all the other connected stuff he owns) was worth 180 million bucks. Remember what he paid 6 years ago?

70 million.

So he's up 110 million bucks. Plus what he makes on popcorn. Plus what Honda pays him, as well as Dr Goshey, Sheila the Serta Sheep blimp and Mr Mcmahon passing the puck to wild wing to score another deal on a Mcmahon Camper/RV. Plus what he made in the Cup year and the year after.

I think you're right lgd.com. this isn't about making money. It's about a budget. Slow and steady wins the race. When the time comes and we're holding all the cards we'll probably go all in. At least I hope.

...So he's up 110 million bucks. Plus what he makes on popcorn. Plus what Honda pays him, as well as Dr Goshey, Sheila the Serta Sheep blimp and Mr Mcmahon passing the puck to wild wing to score another deal on a Mcmahon Camper/RV. Plus what he made in the Cup year and the year after.

If he's gonna go 20% under the cap, I want 20% off my season tickets.

It's tough to argue with someone that makes me laugh. Well said.

Do you think Samueli is profiting on the Ducks yet refusing to invest in them? Why? He's a billionaire and he loves this team. He attends games all the time wearing the Ducks colors. I can't see him getting cheap over $8 million just for the sake of doing it. I have to think that he's willing to invest enough to put a good team on the ice and to give the team a chance to win even if he takes a loss in the process but he's not willing to throw money after players if it's not going to drastically improve the chances.

Do you think Samueli is profiting on the Ducks yet refusing to invest in them? Why? He's a billionaire and he loves this team. He attends games all the time wearing the Ducks colors. I can't see him getting cheap over $8 million just for the sake of doing it. I have to think that he's willing to invest enough to put a good team on the ice and to give the team a chance to win even if he takes a loss in the process but he's not willing to throw money after players if it's not going to drastically improve the chances.

Honestly, I don't understand.

I will answer your question directly. YES. Yes I KNOW that he's making money off the team (um, 180 mill minus 70 mill equals 110 mill) and I know he's nickel and diming the contracts. Simon Gagne has NOTHING TO DO with any of our long term guys. He took a 2 year deal. We have 3 contracts on the books in 2 years, just 3. We have ultimate flexibility and the ultimate ability to spend and he won't do it.

Now, was the UFA pool great? No. Was Brad Richards overpriced? Well I don't think that badly in CAP terms, though old Henry would have to dip into some of the profits to pay the big money years in actual dollars.

I think maybe he doesn't love the team so much anymore. I have season tickets not too far from his box (or where it used to be) and I never see him at games anymore. I never see him interviewed and I never see him delivering a quote. I think he's busy traveling or setting up some new company or doing something else.

I don't understand WHY he wouldn't want in on Simon Gagne considering how sucky Blake is and how old Teemu is.

I can't believe he or Murray or, for that matter, YOU, are looking at this team and excusing our doing nothing at this point. I think this team has an owner that is still a new hockey guy, and it's got a GM that is a passive "reactive" kinda guy. Bad combo. Owners sees dollar signs, GM says "yes sir" a lot. Murray even said the prices of UFA's took him by surprise "again, I guess I shouldn't be surprised anymore". For me, my crush on Brian Burke tells me that's what/who we need. A guy that will come in and make some hard decisions, have some long, confidence-inspiring talks with the owner and get things done.

I am just repeating myself, but I see an organization trying to have the cheapest 8th place finish they can muster, on the idea that a cheap playoff team is more profitable than an expensive Cup winning team. Maybe the fiasco of Schneider/Bertuzzi/McDonald/Kunitz freaked Henry out. That, and the prospect of jail time. I think he's lost interest and BOY do I hope I'm wrong.

Gotta' think Murray is thinking, time to let the younger guys start working their way up and hopefully in a couple years time, our big three with be hitting their prime and our other young guys will be hitting their strides.

Seriously there is no reason Henry should not being spending to the cap. He could be the Ducks owner and spend to the cap every year for the next 30 years and not even spend all of his money.I just think he is more focused on getting an NBA team to Anaheim that he can be apart of. I mean how convenient that they decided to do huge upgrades to Honda Center a year before a NBA franchise could be available that is rumored to be coming here. Hmmm interesting...

Seriously there is no reason Henry should not being spending to the cap. He could be the Ducks owner and spend to the cap every year for the next 30 years and not even spend all of his money.I just think he is more focused on getting an NBA team to Anaheim that he can be apart of. I mean how convenient that they decided to do huge upgrades to Honda Center a year before a NBA franchise could be available that is rumored to be coming here. Hmmm interesting...

If I was in his shoes, there would still be some lingering effects of the repurcussions of that back-dating stock incident. I would be second-guessing myself and doubting whether or not owning a sports franchise was the right idea after all. I agree with LGD.com, he needs to be a little more active in the process. Whether or not he's already doing this, we'll never know.

If Samueli is worried about losing money then he's going about things the wrong way. I'm guessing that ticket sales suck right now because there's zero buzz about this team. We've got the league MVP for Christ's sake, market that guy and make him second to Kobe Bryant in name recognition amongst sports fans in Orange County. Corey Perry should be spending most of next season telling me where to buy my next car, where to get a great deal on a new TV to watch him and the Ducks, why Johnny Reb's in Orange is the best place for BBQ...anything.

The Pond is going to be empty next season unless something dramatic happens in the next three months and then, because ticket sales are lagging, Hank will have an excuse to spend even less the following season. It's a vicious cycle and it needs to stop. Hank & Suzie are the ones that can stop it but as the old saying goes, "you've got to spend money to make money'" and I'm not just talking about on the ice. MARKET THIS TEAM!

That's a great business plan. Take a team that has had declining attendance for 4 years, ignore the problems in goal, on the second line, the third line and the fourth line and do nothing to improve it. Forget Gagne or even Arnott or Langenbrunner or someone else that comes in at a relatively low wage and whose contract will be up BEFORE any threatened walk out. "Hope" that Teemu comes back and watch as no one shows up at the Honda Center in October, November or December. Forget that your #1 dman was taking cortisone shote during the playoffs to ease the pain of his surgically repaired shoulder. Forget that the #2 dman had surgery 6 weeks ago and won't be ready until NOVEMBER. Forget that the Kings and Sharks look way better than they did at the end of last year, and teams like Columbus look ready to challenge.

Right now I see the forward lines:

RPG"maybe Selanne" Koivu no oneMcmillan, no one, no oneParros, no one, no one

I'm not gonna look it up, but I think at least 10 and probably more guys just signed for less than 3 years and at a price keeping us WAY under the cap and they are better than any of the plans we have now Sexton/Beleskey off shoulder surgery/some rookie.

I'm not going to argue with most of this... Opinions are... well opinions.

but I do need to point out and correct one thing:

QUOTE (letsgoducksdotcom @ Jul 5 2011, 04:37 PM)

I think maybe he doesn't love the team so much anymore. I have season tickets not too far from his box (or where it used to be) and I never see him at games anymore. I never see him interviewed and I never see him delivering a quote. I think he's busy traveling or setting up some new company or doing something else.

Seriously there is no reason Henry should not being spending to the cap. He could be the Ducks owner and spend to the cap every year for the next 30 years and not even spend all of his money.I just think he is more focused on getting an NBA team to Anaheim that he can be apart of. I mean how convenient that they decided to do huge upgrades to Honda Center a year before a NBA franchise could be available that is rumored to be coming here. Hmmm interesting...

it's his money, real money, not imaginary fan money, losing millions is not good no matter WHO you are.

The Ducks have a good core w/10, 15, 9 and Hiller (when healthy), but the rest really needs improvement. AND they seriously need to be on the lookout SOON to replace Teemu. He's not going to play forever, ya know?

He bought the team for 70 million, Forbes values it at 180 million 6 years later. He's making money. 110 million that I count.

But he'd have to sell the team to make that money. If you buy a house for $250,000 and seven years later it's worth $500,000 you've earned a lot of money on paper but not in your bank account. I am not excusing him from not spending money on this team but it's not like he's got an extra $110 million in his bank account courtesy of the Ducks.

But he'd have to sell the team to make that money. If you buy a house for $250,000 and seven years later it's worth $500,000 you've earned a lot of money on paper but not in your bank account. I am not excusing him from not spending money on this team but it's not like he's got an extra $110 million in his bank account courtesy of the Ducks.

If I buy a mcdonalds franchise for 70k, then I lose 5k a year running it, and 6 years later it's worth 180k? I just made A KILLING. Samuelli knows what to do with 100 million dollars in equity. He is making money.

Same as if I buy a house to rent, lose a couple grand a year on the rent but it doubles in value.

The Ducks have a good core w/10, 15, 9 and Hiller (when healthy), but the rest really needs improvement. AND they seriously need to be on the lookout SOON to replace Teemu. He's not going to play forever, ya know?

But whos out there worth spending alot of money on that would substantially improve the team? the summer just started let's wait and see what we have come training camp. alot of teams are in cap binds, while we are in excellent shape, to make trades.....

QUOTE (letsgoducksdotcom @ Jul 6 2011, 10:18 PM)

If I buy a mcdonalds franchise for 70k, then I lose 5k a year running it, and 6 years later it's worth 180k? I just made A KILLING. Samuelli knows what to do with 100 million dollars in equity. He is making money.

Same as if I buy a house to rent, lose a couple grand a year on the rent but it doubles in value.

You made a killing IF you sell the franchise, and if it's losing 5k a year how would it be worth 180k? the main value of the franchise is......Honda Center, not the team itself.